Weapons of Resident Evil 4
Capcom's Resident Evil 4 features a variety of weapons that the player can collect and use, each with its own advantages and disadvantages."[http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/features/48779.shtml Feature: Resident Evil 4 - Weapons of Mass Destruction Guide]," GamePro.com (10/05/2005).Stephen Stratton, "Weapons and Items," Resident Evil 4 (Wii version): Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Games, 2007). Weapons play an integral role in the game and have some innovations from the earlier games in the series. Thomas Wilde, who describes Resident Evil 4 as an "overhaul," explains, for example, how players can use the vast array of weapons to "go for headshots now."Thomas Wilde, "[http://www.game-over.net/reviews.php?page=gamecubereviews&id=92 Review of Resident Evil 4]," Game Over Online Magazine. Capcom even released a special trailer showcasing the weapons"[http://www.gametrailers.com/player/7925.html Resident Evil 4 Weapons,]" Gametrailers.com (October 03, 2005). and G4 held an "interview" with the in-game Shopkeeper who sells weapons.Steve Dove, "Interview with the Resident (Evil) Shopkeeper," G4 (March 07, 2005). Creation The makers of Resident Evil 4 worked on various innovations associated with the use and inventory of weapons in Resident Evil 4 compared to earlier games in the series.IGN Staff, "[http://cube.ign.com/articles/568/568644p1.html Resident Evil 4: Capcom reveals a ton of new details on weapon upgrades, the new inventory system, controlling Ashley and more]," IGN (November 23, 2004). As Jérôme Cukier explains: Players love accumulating weapons and increase their firepower in every possible way. Then again, firearms are rather cheap to add into the game: in terms of code, two shotguns will basically work the same, even if one hurts more than the other, and they’re not terribly different from a handgun. This is quite different from melee weapons: adding a new sword in a DMC-like game requires a whole new set of complex animations that answer the questions - how will the player use the sword and how will monsters react when hit with the sword?, special effects, etc. So, one should add as many weapons as possible in RE-type games. Why wasn’t it done before? It’s difficult to place individual weapons items in levels without a justification. In previous games, getting the shotgun or the magnum was an accomplishment, which usually required puzzles to be solved. While this is ok to design this for 4 weapons, it gets complicated for 20+ weapons and hundreds of power-ups. This is solved through the merchant trick. In action games, it’s logical that vanquishing an enemy has a payoff - orbs in Onimusha or DMC, points in Dino Crisis 2 - that can later be exchanged with greater abilities. Adding a "merchant" enables Capcom to propose almost 20 weapons in the main game, which can be upgraded approximately 10 times each. Increasing the weapon diversity is not just good because it is fun and because it increases the game depth, but because weapons are very much correlated with freedom. More firepower means that the player has a better grasp on the game situation, and the versatility of the arsenal lets them chose the best way to overcome their opponents.Jérôme Cukier, "[http://www.gamethink.net/Some-thoughts-on-Resident-Evil-4.html Some thoughts on Resident Evil 4 - Revolution or Evolution?]," Gamethink: Articles and discussions on game production (9 June 2006). Despite the degree of innovation described above, Resident Evil 4 producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi said, "We're basically using the same weapon engines. It wasn't that troublesome to implement these changes."As quoted in IGN Staff, "[http://cube.ign.com/articles/499/499419p1.html Interview: Resident Evil 4 Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi gives us the spooky details on the game]," IGN (March 17, 2004). Weapons Chainsaw controller Resident Evil 4's weapons are unique in that it is the only game to have had a special edition chainsaw controller made for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and GameCube versions.Gerry Block, "[http://gear.ign.com/articles/666/666241p1.html Dueling Chainsaws! NubyTech's GC and PS2 Resident Evil 4 Chainsaws square off]," IGN (November 11, 2005). This controller, which was released worldwide, Chris Roper, "[http://gear.ign.com/articles/592/592466p1.html RE4 Chainsaw to See Worldwide Release: NubyTech to take the collectable controller outside of the US]," IGN (March 1, 2005). Features a ripcord doubles as the Start button. The controller is designed for PS2 and PC and therefore comes with a PS2 controller-to-USB adapter, meaning it can be used on a PlayStation 3. Nuby Tech designed the controller to look like the Chainsaw Man's chainsaw that appears in the game.Matt Casamassina, "[http://gear.ign.com/articles/587/587235p1.html Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller: It may be the ultimate collector's item, but does Nuby Tech's bloodstained peripheral make RE4 play better? Full review.]" IGN (February 11, 2005).Ricardo Torres, "Nuby Tech Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller Review: While it's a great piece of swag for a Resident Evil enthusiast, Nuby Tech's Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller doesn't quite pass muster as a proper controller.," GameSpot Tech (Mar 4, 2005).Chris Cook, "Capcom/Nubytech Team Up For RE4 Chainsaw Controller," Game Informer (11/17/2004).IGN Staff, "[http://cube.ign.com/articles/585/585543p1.html Becoming the Chainsaw Man: We get our hands on Nuby Tech's RE4-themed chainsaw controller. New pics included.]," IGN (February 4, 2005). Reception The November 2005 issue of GamePro magazine featured an article on "the top 12 firearms in the game," asserting that "Resident Evil 4 is packed with awesome weapons, but only certain tools can get the job done.""[http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/features/48779.shtml Feature: Resident Evil 4 - Weapons of Mass Destruction Guide]," GamePro.com (10/05/2005). Game Informer devoted several paragraphs (as well as an image) of its review of the game to the weapons, noting, for example, "Perhaps one of the most obvious aspects of the game that you’ll notice is its strong focus on action, and this is probably most evident in the game’s weapons. In previous Resident Evil titles, weapons were necessary to stay alive, but came at a cost. Ammunition was usually sparse and needed to be rationed. This time around, however, you’ll notice that ammunition is incredibly plentiful."Chris Cook, "[http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200501/N05.0110.1105.14613.htm Resident Evil 4 Hands-On Impressions And Movies]," Game Informer (1/10/2005). Finally, Game Over Online Magazine applauds the game's "welcome additions of a scoped rifle, the mine launcher from Resident Evil 3, a submachinegun, and a one-shot rocket launcher."Thomas Wilde, "[http://www.game-over.net/reviews.php?page=gamecubereviews&id=92 Review of Resident Evil 4]," Game Over Online Magazine. Even the packaging for the chainsaw controller has received high praise.Matt Casamassina, "[http://cube.ign.com/articles/585/585976p1.html RE4 Chainsaw Controller Box: This is the coolest peripheral packaging ever created. Pics included]," IGN (February 7, 2005). One criticism, however, comes from Cerise Magazine. In an article titled "Shotgun vs. Skirt: Gender in Resident Evil 4," Diego Luna decries Resident Evil 4 for not presenting the female lead of Resident Evil 4 as a "gun-wielding" agent compared to the male lead or female characters in other games in the series.Diego Luna, "[http://cerise.theirisnetwork.org/archives/233 Shotgun vs. Skirt: Gender in Resident Evil 4]," Cerise Magazine (October 2007). Merchandise The game's success has resulted in some spin-off products. For example, many of the weapons listed above have also been adapted to accompany action figure toys based off of the game."[http://kotaku.com/gaming/gallery/res-4-figures-now-with-cute-little-real-clothes-313141.php Res 4 Figures, Now With Cute Little Real Clothes]," Kotaku. The chainsaw that served as inspiration for the controller mentioned above accompanies the figure for Chainsaw Ganado.Michael, "[http://www.mwctoys.com/REVIEW_123005b.htm Review of Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Garado and Verdugo action figures]," Captain Toy (2003). Other figures come with multiple firearms that appear on the in-game list above.Ryan Brookhart, "[http://www.collider.com/clubhouse/article.asp/aid/5818/cid/29/tcid/6 Ryan Brookhart has a Preview of the Hot Toys RESIDENT EVIL 4 Figures]," Collider.com (10/20/2007). References See also *[[B.O.W's (Resident Evil)|Biological Organic Weapons in the Resident Evil series]] External links *[http://residentevil.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_weapons_in_Resident_Evil_4 List of weapons in Resident Evil 4] *Red9 *[http://media.ps2.gamespy.com/media/013/013887/vids_1.html Resident Evil 4] (10/03/05) - Check out the many weapons of RE4 on GameSpy *IGN Staff, "[http://insider.ign.com/teasers/557/557653.html Resident Evil 4: Live from Japan: We travel to Osaka to get all the answers on the mysterious bosses, the weapons, the gore, and more. This is an in-depth look at the entire project]," IGN (October 15, 2004) *Zach Scott, "[http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/file/535840/35441 Resident Evil 4 Weapon Analysis Guide]," GameFAQS (March 13, 2005) *[http://www.residentevilfan.com/encyclopedia/results.asp?Criteria=&sv=1&GameID=10&CategoryID=2 Resident Evil 4 Weapons] on Resident Evil Encyclopedia *[http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Resident_Evil_4/Weapons_and_upgrades Resident Evil 4/Weapons and upgrades] *[http://faqs.ign.com/articles/582/582259p1.html Resident Evil 4 Weapons FAQ] *[http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/544 Resident Evil 4 Weapons Video 01] *Matthew Rorie, "Weapons" on Resident Evil 4 Gamespot Game Guide Category:Resident Evil Category:Video game weapons